Hidden Falls Ranch nears 50 years in sharing gospel

Published 9:30 am, Saturday, April 19, 2014

Sitting on the edge of breathtaking views of Palo Duro Canyon sits a camp offering a chance to relax, unwind and dig into their faith.

Since 1965 Hidden Falls Ranch (HFR) has been offering life-changing summer camp experiences for thousands of children. Founded on the principles of God and his Holy word, HFR strives to show Christ’s love to every child that comes through the front gate.

Jered Meeks and Blake Henderson both serve as assistant directors at HFR. The camp offers a busy summer schedule for youth, as well as nearly 40 retreats for adults and organizations throughout the year.

“We’ve very personal with the groups,” Henderson said. “We cook all of the meals for them and try to make it as personal as possible.”

Henderson and his family joined the HFR in January of 2012.

He grew up at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, where his parents were on staff. He attended West Texas A&M University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in recreation in 2000 and later received his master’s degree in higher education from Abilene Christian University.

He is married to Donna and they have three children, Audrey, Bear and Kinsler. His camping experience was at Camp Champions and Camp Balcones Springs Retreat and Conference Center.

“When I was first approached about working at Hidden Falls, my wife and I just kind of laughed it off because it never crossed our minds. Once we stopped and really looked at it, this job answered all of the things we’d been praying for in finding our next step,” Henderson said.

“You have to love Jesus and love kids. That’s what we talk to our staff about. Part of my job is recruiting and hiring staff. I really enjoy that college age.

“I don’t get to have as much interaction with the campers as I’d like, but I really like to pour my heart into the staff.”

The focus of HFR is to introduce children to Jesus and the Gospel.

“That is in my heart as far as ministry goes. We try to do everything we do with excellence because you don’t know what the campers are going to see and take to heart,” Henderson said. “Our staff buys into that and gets excited; they hold each other accountable, too. Everybody is here for that reason, and will serve as needed.”

Henderson said one of his favorite features of the camp is also one the simplest - a bell near the chapel.

“When a kid accepts Jesus into their heart, they get to ring the bell.

“You can hear that bell across the entire camp, and it warms my heart each and every time that bell rings,” he said.

The camper to counselor ratio is three to one with no more than seven campers in a cabin.

“That allows for a lot of group interaction, as well as personal attention,” Henderson said.

Camps feature a wide variety of activities, most of which are outdoors.

There are several natural springs in the canyon, which is utilized for hiking and camp living skills.

However, most of the activities take place on the ranch property, which features cabins, a chapel, a swimming pool, camp fire spots and a dining hall that sits on the canyon’s rim.

“We don’t allow technology while campers are here. We get them to disconnect for a week, so they have to interact face to face with people,” Henderson said.

“We have a beautiful place for kids to get away from their screens, and they see things differently, which helps us with what we do here.”

Mike Bellah first came to HFR in 1965 and has stayed involved in various ways throughout the years.

“I was looking for cute girls and fast horses, and I found a relationship with Jesus,” he said.

“It’s a beautiful place, but the staff is made up of really vibrant Christian young people who walk the talk and it’s contagious. Their relationship with Jesus is what I wanted.”

Bellah said he also found a cute girl at HFR, his wife Charlotte. All five of the couple’s children also attended the camp, two of whom also met their spouses there.

Bellah served worked at HFR as a horse wrangler and later as the executive director from 1977-1980

“I think it’s great just sitting out there on the canyon early in the morning or late at night. It’s hard to be an unbeliever when you’re looking at what God’s made.

“If people haven’t been there in a while, these guys in charge now have done some amazing things. The camp has never been in the great shape it is now,” he said.

“It’s a great place to go yourself, and it’s a great place to send other people. Next year is the 50th anniversary, and I look forward to that. Some of my very best friends in the whole word, I met there. It’s the kind of place where you become friends forever.”